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Pet Health Columns

Experts on animal health from the college's clinics in Urbana and Chicago share their knowledge in informative columns written for animal owners. Scan the categories and tags at left for topics that interest you. Subscribe to our weekly Pet Health Columns email.

‘Think of bacteria as our friends’ Dr. Patrick Barko has spent the past three years studying a rapidly evolving field that he believes will soon be at the forefront in the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of disease for people and pets. “For most of modern medical history, bacteria were treated as enemy invaders that needed...

A ‘foreign body’ may pose a medical emergency Animals are very curious creatures. But, as the old adage goes, curiosity can be deadly, or at least dangerous. So it is with animals that swallow things not meant to be swallowed: Your dog snarfs down a broken or too-small toy. Your cat goes from licking a...

Turtles play a role in environmental health Last summer, two rising second-year veterinary students traded blue lab coats and lecture halls in Urbana for chest-high waders and wetlands in Lake County in northeast Illinois. Working as part of the Wildlife Epidemiology Lab at the University of Illinois College of Veterinary Medicine, Lauren Mumm and John...

Regulations control wording on a pet food label The seemingly endless brightly colored cans, bags, and boxes in the pet food aisles can be quite overwhelming for pet owners. Dr. Kelly Swanson, an animal sciences professor at the University of Illinois who lectures on nutrition to students at the College of Veterinary Medicine, has some...

Pet’s cancer may be managed vs. cured The word “chemotherapy” conjures up images of nauseous, balding, and debilitated patients. While supportive therapies are available to soften these side effects in human cancer patients, it’s true that medical doctors often treat cancer very aggressively, hoping to achieve complete remission of disease. For patients undergoing chemotherapy at...

Enjoy the Most-Read Columns from 2017 What topics did pet owners find most fascinating last year? We checked our website analytics, and discovered that fungal disease, behavioral issues, and cutting-edge treatments offered only at our college topped the list. Here’s a recap of our most-read columns. Blasted Blasto Blastomyces dermatitidis—the agent responsible for the systemic...

Monitor pets’ comfort level in the cold Just because your pet sports a fur coat doesn’t mean he’s protected from all the potential hazards of winter. Dr. Gary Brummet, a primary care clinician at the University of Illinois Veterinary Teaching Hospital in Urbana, advises pet owners to stay attuned to their pet’s behavior to keep...

Take steps to minimize risks and be prepared Perhaps the scariest thing to pet owners is when an illness or injury to their pet occurs. Now imagine that this happens at 2 am and their regular veterinary clinic is closed. What do they do? Where do they go? Dr. Caroline Tonozzi, a veterinarian at the...

Hedgehogs are nocturnal, athletic, and solitary Hedgehogs have gained popularity as pets in recent decades. Before you add one to your family, Dr. Krista Keller, a veterinarian at the University of Illinois Veterinary Teaching Hospital in Urbana, recommends learning all you can about these animals’ unique needs. While the wild European hedgehog freely roams the...

Immunotherapy may be an effective treatment option Is something itching at your dog? If an allergy is to blame, it probably falls into one of three categories, according to Dr. Scott Miller, who recently completed an internship in small animal dermatology at the University of Illinois Veterinary Teaching Hospital in Urbana. The options are flea...